Edge-lighted sign



u 14, 1951 J. A. HOWENSTINE ET AL 0 EDGE LIGHTED SIGN Filed May 15, 1949 INVENTORS.

-" JAMES A. HOWE/VST/NE. /8 KENNETH E SMITH through the walls of the shell into the flanges of the retainer 26 to hold the shell and plate assembled.

As shown in Fig. 1, the panel I4 is flat and has a lower edge 28 which fits into groove 13. Lettering 29 may be etched or otherwise recessed in the plate [6 in the usual manner. At either end of the groove l3, a slotted post 3| is attached to the upper face of the shell, and theslots of the posts are adapted to embrace vertical edges of the panel [4 to hold the panel erect.

The panel may be removable or may be attached to the groove by means of any appropriate clear cement which will permit light from the fixture l2 to reach the panel [4. r

In Fig. 6 is shown an alternate embodiment of the invention in which a shell 32, generally of the same construction as the shell I0, is supported by a base plate 33. The plate 33 has an upstanding peripheral flange 34 to which a pair of angle-shaped retainer elements 36 and 31 are attached by means of screws 38. One flange of each of the angle-shaped retainers is attached to the flange 34 while the other flanges of the retainers 36 and 31 are spaced to form an inwardly extending peripheral slot adapted to embrace a flange 39 of the shell 32. v

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, short slotted posts 4|, only one of which isshown', embrace the ends of an edge-lighted panel 42. The posts 4| are substantially shorter than the posts 31 shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and the panel shown in Fig. 6 is adapted to be cemented in place while the panel shown in Figs. 1 to 3 may be removable.

The paint used for coating the inside of the shells may be translucent so that the entire shell glows when the sign panel is illuminated or the paint may berelatively opaque. If desired',appropriate advertising indicia or the like may be painted on the inside walls of the panel so as to be illuminated by the lighting fixture thereof.

The embodiments of this invention disclosed in the drawings and described above are subject to modification within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention what we claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An illuminated sign which comprises a hollow elongated shell of transparent plastic material having a closed top and an open bottom provided with a removable cover plate, an elongated lighting fixture inside said shell and mounted on said cover plate, the closed top of said shell having a groove extending lengthwise thereof, and a transparent panel mounted edgewise in said groove, whereby said panel receives edgewise illumination from said lighting fixture through the wall of said groove, a coating on said housing adapted to substantially obscure said lighting fixture, said coating terminating at an uncoated strip along the groove, and means for supporting said panel in upright position on said shell.

2. An illuminated sign which comprises a hollow elongated shell of transparent plastic material having a closedtop and an open bottom providedwith a removable cover plate, an elongated lighting fixture inside said shell and mounted on said cover plate, the closed top of said shell having a groove extending lengthwise thereof, a transparent panel mounted edgewise in said groove, whereby said panel receives edgewise illumination from said lighting fixture through the wall of said groove, a coating on said housing adapted to substantially obscure said lighting fixture, said coating terminating at an uncoated strip along the groove, and a vertically slotted post attached to the shell at each end of said groove, the slots in the posts facing each other for receiving opposite edges of the panel.

3. An illuminated sign which comprises a hollow elongated shell of transparent plastic material having a closed top and an open bottom provided with a removable cover plate, an elongated lighting flxture inside said shell and mounted on said cover plate, the closed top of said shell having a, groove extending lengthwise of the top face thereof, the bottom wall of said groove being transparent, a transparent solid panel mounted edgewise in said groove to receive edgewise illumination through said groove, said panel having indicia on the face thereof which is lighted by illumination transmitted through said edge, and a layer of paint on the interior surfaces of the shell bounding the transparent bottom of said groove, whereby the lighting fixture is hidden.

4. An illuminated sign which comprises a hollow elongated shell of transparent plastic material having a closed top and an open bottom provided with a removable cover plate, an elongated lighting fixture inside said shell and mounted on said 'cover plate, the closed top of said shell having a groove extending lengthwise of the top face thereof, the bottom wall of said groove being transparent, a transparent solid panel mounted edgewise in said groove to receive edgewise illumination through said groove, said panel having indicia on the face thereof whichis lighted by illumination transmitted through said edge, and a layer of translucent paint on the interior surfaces of the shell bounding the transparent bottom of the groove, whereby the lighting fixture is hidden and the shell and the panel are illuminated by the lighting fixture.

5. An illuminated sign which comprises a hollow elongated shell of transparent plastic material having a closed top and an open bottom provided with a removable cover plate, an elongated lighting fixture inside said shell and mounted on said cover plate, the closed top of said shell having a groove extending lengthwise of the top face thereof, the bottom wall of said groove being transparent, a transparent solid panel mounted edgewise in said groove to receive edgewise illumination through said groove, said panel having indicia on the face thereof which is lighted by illumination transmitted through said edge, and a layer of substantially opaque paint on the interior surfaces of the shell bounding the transparent bottom of said groove, whereby the lighting fixture is hidden.

JAMES A. HOWENSTINE. KENNETH F. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,840,325 McCann Oct. 30, 1930 1,894,240 Newman Jan. 10, 1933 2,297,851 Wyss, Jr. Aug. 3, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 695,042 Germany July 18, 1938 

